Preparing your home for fall

It may not feel like it outside, in the Southeast anyway, but fall is just around the corner. With fall vastly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home for the changing weather and temperatures. While this may seem like a lot to do at first glance, if you start knocking these items out now, you’ll be ready for fall in no time. Read our tips below on how to get your home ready for fall early so you can have plenty of time to enjoy the fun festivities!

Prepare for potential power outages

Power outages can happen in any season but they most commonly occur in the fall and winter due to weather-related conditions. It’s crucial to go ahead and plan for the possibility of experiencing a power outage. We suggest you make sure all flashlights are working, you have extra batteries and potentially a generator for when and if the power goes out this fall or winter. It’s also key to load up on food and water that doesn’t require much preparation or refrigeration so you and your family have options in case you are stuck indoors for a few days.

Test home safety devices

To be in the safe side we recommend you test home safety devices at least once a month. This may seem like a lot but it’s of utmost importance to you and your family that you are safe and living under safe conditions in your home. For a quick rundown of each device, you should check for, check out this informative article here put out by Safety.com and put together a checklist for yourself at the beginning of each month.

Trim down plants, bushes, and trees

Plants, bushes, and trees grow a ton in the warm months and while they provide shade in the heat they can pose a potential risk to your home in the fall and winter. So it’s important to go ahead and trim your plants, bushes, and trees back to prepare for fall winds, rain, and other weather-related conditions. Be sure to pay close attention to any large trees around power lines and any near your roof and cut these back ahead of time to prevent damage.

Prepare your air conditioner

Go ahead and start thinking about how you will prepare your air conditioner for changing temperatures. You may want to consider putting a cover over it once it is not being used anymore in the later fall/early winter months. Another tip is to go ahead clean it now that you won't be using it anymore so it's ready for next summer. We also highly suggest to go ahead and schedule a maintenance check-up to ensure it is working properly for next year.

Start decorating for the season

Autumn is a fun and nostalgic time for many Americans and the changing of seasons has everyone excited for the coming months. After all, the holidays are now not too far away! Go ahead and start decorating your home and workspace with fun fall decor for whatever holiday or festivity you prefer to celebrate. Whether it is for your favorite football team, Halloween or Thanksgiving there are plenty of ways to decorate your home for the season to help you get into the spirit.

Change filters

We might be biased when it comes to this tip but we recommend you change your filters every 3 months and this includes the fall. Change your air filters regularly to prevent dust mites, pet dander, allergies, dust and more. For information on the benefits of changing filters read our blog post here.

Plant bulbs for flowers

October is the ideal month to go ahead and plant bulbs for spring flowers. Pick a spot in your yard that gets plenty of sunshine to optimize growth. Come spring, you’ll be thanking yourself for being proactive and have a beautiful garden to enjoy.

Clean your home from head to toe

With the start of the new season, we suggest you go ahead and clean your home from head to toe. You've heard of spring cleaning but really at the start of every season, you should plan on doing a deep-clean of your home. The most important areas to prevent pet dander, dust and other forms of build-up to include carpets, floors, furniture, curtains and bedding. For more information on cleaning your home properly check out our article here.

Do you have any more tips on how to prepare your home for fall? Let us know in the comments below and have a wonderful season!